Kilver Court are Onboard to Shake up your Wake up!

This week is Farmhouse Breakfast Week – an initiative to inspire us all to tuck in at breakfast time. It’s the most important meal of the day, guaranteed to set you up for the challenges ahead and yet 47% of us skip it altogether. January is the perfect month to make a change, so we thought we’d share a few breakfast favourites from Kilver Court HQ to inspire you to shake up your morning routine!

An idea a day to see you through Farmhouse Breakfast Week - Enjoy!

Waffling on
We’d save this one for the weekend, as it’s best served with a pot of tea and the weekend papers. Truly indulgent and utterly delicious, these spelt waffles were restaurant critic, Tracey MacLeod’s contribution to the Great British Spelt Recipes (which means you can find the recipe here!). They were  a huge hit in the Harlequin Cafe last summer and taste great with sweet or savoury toppings. Try serving with hot berry compote and greek yoghurt for a breakfast sure to tickle your tastebuds.

Great House manager Tamsyn adds extra fruit to her morning muesli!

Miller's Muesli
If one thing is guaranteed to jump start your day, it’s Sharpham Park’s cereals. We love their Miller’s Muesli, filled with light and crispy mix of spelt puffs and flakes, tumbled with barley flakes and jumbo oats, juicy raisins, dates and apricots, crunchy sunflower seeds, almonds and walnuts (phew!). Unlike most grains spelt doesn’t contain sugar, making it a great, healthier option for kids.
This week The Great House is offering buy one get one half price - so snap yours up!

Easy-peasy Fruit Salads

Perfect if you haven’t got a lot of time to spare: make in bulk and dish up at your desk all week long. Blueberries are full of antioxidants and mango, with its sunshine taste, is just what you need at this time of year! Include bananas and perhaps a sprinkle of nuts or seeds for an extra energy boost. Making it for the kids? Why not use biscuit cutters in fun shapes to make watermelon or mangoes a bit more exciting! (alright, big kids will like it too). 

EGGceptional

(Sorry) Eggs are loaded with high-quality proteins, vitamins, minerals, good fats and various trace nutrients making them an excellent breakfast choice. They’re at their healthiest poached, but our favourite is scrambled with butter, milk, salt, pepper, freshly chopped parsley, a little cheese and crispy bacon if you’re feeling indulgent. Don’t fancy cooking your own? Our Sharpham Pantry Restaurant now serves the full works, every morning: 9:30-11:00 am.

Yummy local honey available at Kilver Court

Oatterly Delicious...
Sure to kick the January blues, try starting the day with a fabulously warming bowl of porridge. Sharpham Park’s oats have a naturally low Glycaemic Index and a delicious nutty taste. Serve up with fresh cream or honey for extra goodness (manuka if you’re super healthy). It's a great alternative to that four o'clock piece of cake too...
 

Spelt loaves photographed by Tyson Sadlo

Toast & Jam
Simple yet sufficient: We have delicious spelt loaves delivered daily in The Great House, courtesy of local artisan bakery Lievito’s. Toast and team with one of our delicious honeys or preserves. We love Taste of the West award winners Heavenly Hedgerow’s range of jellies and jams – try Elderberry and Bramble, or rich, flavoursome Hawthorn Jelly, for the sweetest start to the day!

Let them eat cake!

Another breakfast treat courtesy of Great British Spelt recipes, find Amanda Hamilton’s delicious Pear & Ginger breakfast muffin concoction here. By trading regular flour for spelt flour you can afford to be a little more indulgent as there’s a number of fantastic health benefits.  With significant levels of B vitamins, magnesium, iron, zinc and phosphorous it’s a super grain – so get some in your breakfast!


Feeling inspired? Tweet us your breakfast favourites!

Mrs Handbag goes bouncing... down to Cambridge!

I think by now you will have realised that I’m generally game for most things ... and we’ve just survived little Henry’s 2nd birthday party which has to be testament to this! Think eleven 2 year olds, high on inordinate amounts of jelly and Peppa Pig cake, (courtesy of Henry’s mum - super-talented Bella) hurling themselves around like multi-coloured ants on a bouncy castle...and then throw in a crazy Great Granny (my mum – 88) just for a bit of extra fun...

The perfect piggy birthday cake!

Of course I had to join her..if only to save her from the toddlers and to check she didn’t lose her dentures in the excitement – now there’s a health and safety risk that isn’t listed!

For a (slightly) more grown up adventure, earlier in the month I was taken on what is probably my last big birthday surprise...a lovely weekend in Cambridge, courtesy of our Best Man Richard and Belinda -who went to great lengths to show us a good time.

After a divine evening of music in Kings College (Taverner; Britten; Durufle), we spent the next morning idling on the river... such a treat seeing the stunning (and some quite frankly bizarre) college buildings from the punt, in what turned out to be the sunny calm before the almighty storm.

R made it - crutches and all!

Now, I wonder how many of you made it to the Grand Sale last weekend (featuring the famous Browns Labels for Less)?   Any of you coming on Sunday might have caught the Saul’s in action – things were so manic that R ended up on car-park duty (the ultimate power trip!) while Fred and I rolled up our sleeves in the kitchen – as customers tucked in to delicious dishes in the Pantry faster than we could wash them up again! 

It was a fantastic weekend, and the perfect opportunity to start stocking up on Christmas treats - I have promised to start issuing a ‘Mrs Handbag Selection Box’ of prezzie ideas ...so watch this space for the first one soon!

The Great House at Kilver Court is full of festive treats!

                                                               Mrs Handbag xx

Kilver Court Celebrates

Kilver Court's very own Saul family with our beautiful models showcasing Browns fashion.

At Kilver Court, we like an excuse to throw a party, and after weeks of hosting various celebrations in the ballroom we decided it was time to have our own. With a new store opening, huge designer sale weekend and Browns Labels for Less Pop Up Shop launching last weekend, we had the perfect excuse to indulge in bubbly, canapés and a little late night shopping!

So on a cold winter evening last week we invited everyone into the warm to explore our new store, The Arcade, and have a sneak peek at the incredible range of designer fashion at the Browns Pop up Shop. Never before has the ballroom been filled with so many beautiful dresses, jackets, trousers, knitwear – you name it – from well know designers such as Alexander McQueen, Stella McCartney, Marc Jacobs, Jil Sander, Burberry and more. Phew!

Did we mention it all has up to 80% off?  Team KC has struggled to resist – sales supervisor Freya found a fabulous Alexander McQueen dress for £150 just in time for the Christmas party season, while Mrs Handbag picked out the perfect printed silk shirt!

This is the last weekend of Browns Labels for Less Pop Up Shop, and who knows when Somerset will next be home to such an array of discounted designer fashion, so don’t miss it! (Click here to read more about the Pop Up Shop at Kilver Court).

But back to the party – here’s a behind the scenes peek at what we all got up to – and remember, if you’d like to join us for the next VIP event, click here to sign up to our newsletter. We send out monthly messages filled with exclusive news, offers, competitions and invitations!

Musicians entertained in The Great House - and Mrs Handbag even gave an impromtu performance...

Even the Orla Kiely manikins in the new store dressed up in sparkling frocks for the occasion!

Our beautiful models, Louise & Chloe strutted their stuff...

while everyone sipped on bubby!

A few fab suppliers from The Great House offered tasters alongside our canapes...

Everyone was tempted by designer treats...

and shopped...

until they dropped!

Old friends stopped by - Roger Saul and Kevin McCloud

We raised nearly £500 for Macmillan Cancer Support with our Mulberry Bayswater giveaway!

 Extra special-super-big-thank-yous to Macmillan Cancer Support, Red Rabbit Photography and Mustard Models!

A Little Wedding Wisdom courtesy of Kilver Court!

Kilver Court is more than just a designer shopping village: we’re the perfect wedding venue too! Overlooking the secret gardens we’ve got an array of beautiful rooms and we’re licensed for civil ceremonies. So what better way to celebrate our wedding credentials than with a fair? We’ve invited some of our favourite suppliers along to share their top tips and professional tricks to provide you with inspiration for your special day... but if you can’t wait that long, here’s a few ideas to help you get creative!

See Kilver Court's beautiful event spaces & expect blooming inspiration from an array of florists

Scrap Book
All girls know it’s never, ever too early to start planning your wedding, so why not start collating all your favourite pictures, fabric cuttings, pressed flowers and invitations in a scrap book? We’re always adding to our own at Kilver Court, so we can help you plan a day full of lovely ideas.

Have a pre-wedding shoot
Unless you’re a part time Kate Moss you might not feel entirely natural in front of the camera –  so why not have a pre-wedding shoot? Jessica from Red Rabbit Photography suggest it’s a great way to get to know your photographer and perfect your smile, so you’re relaxed and ready to enjoy yourself on the big day. Plus you’ll have lots more lovely pictures for the family album!

Feel Fabulous
What better excuse to pamper yourself than a wedding?! As well as having a brilliant makeup artist on the day, Jen from the Beauty Loft recommends beginning a detox up to three months before the wedding. Simple things like drinking two litres of water a day, increasing your fish intake and eating lots of fruit and veg (especially avocados!) will help your skin and hair look healthy and radiant.  Jen will be at our wedding fair advising on everything from eyelash extensions to irritable skin, and French manicures to facials.

Wedding cakes to taste and secret gardens to explore

Get ready, set, bake!
Has the Great British Bake Off inspired you? Get your family and bridesmaids involved in designing, crafting and of course, tasting cakes! Cake creator Helen suggests trying to link your colour scheme or wedding theme in with your delicious design.

For more ideas be sure to join us on Sunday 27th October, it’s a wonderful opportunity to see the ceremony and reception rooms available at Kilver Court.

Click for more info on Kilver Court's Wedding Fair

We'll be running a competition to win free* venue hire too - not to be missed for brides to be!

Au Revoir Aubin & Wills

Looking for things to do in Somerset this weekend? Kilver Court are hosting Aubin & Wills’ final clearance sale - before the fabulously British brand disappear for good. Boo :(

Preparing for the sale and cooing over our favourite frocks in the stock room has got us all reminiscing over things that have come and gone over the years. The Great British High Street is no longer the home of interior experts Habitat, perfectly priced Woolworths or family favourite C&A... and are we the only ones craving a Cadbury Fuse bar?

But we’ve digressed: Aubin & Wills are going to be sorely missed, having provided us with classic British fashion for the last five years. Their top quality, quirky designs have attracted a huge celebrity following, with stars such as Claudia Schiffer, Taylor Swift, Anna Friel and Keira Knightley frequently spotted in Aubin & Wills... and that’s just the ladies!

Despite disappearing from most high streets at the start of 2013, Kilver Court has an exclusive, last opportunity to buy beautiful Aubin & Wills goodies, hurrah! This weekend (12th – 13th October) we’ll be hosting their final clearance sale, with prices starting at £5. Dresses and shirts will be available from £10 and knitwear (with an RRP of over £125) is available from £25. We are good to you!

British beauty Sophie Dahl looked so lovely in Aubin & Wills A/W 2012 campaign; we’re hoping to steal a little bit of her style status this weekend as we indulge in the last of the brand’s clothing range.

If you’re not quite ready to say goodbye, why not check out our Jack Wills store? They’re Aubin’s big sister and offer a similar collection of quintessentially British clothing and accessories.

See you at the weekend!

Mrs Handbag Samples the High Life at Claridge's

A long way from Kilver Court, Mrs Handbag checks in at Claridge's!

Do I look relaxed and spoilt? Having earned our ‘Hotel Expert’ stripes by running our own Michelin starred hotel for 13 years, we really felt that there was little left in the hospitality world to surprise and delight us...but how wrong could we be?  We have dined at Claridge’s many times in the past (Martyn Nail executive chef is a loyal spelt supporter) but I still did not expect to be completely bowled over by the Claridge’s experience. 
From the moment we walked through the door, every member of staff was charming and the service was sublime. Complementary chocolate cake (for our anniversary) arrived on cue, hence the indolent pose with a glass of champagne!  Definitely the ultimate treat experience....

Indulging in Claridge's delicious chocolate cake before Roger took to the stage at Food Rocks!

Elsewhere we spent a hilarious day in Lyme Regis at the ‘Lyme Rocks’ festival. I couldn’t understand why every other person had a guitar case strapped to their back until someone explained that there was going to be a Record Breaking attempt that evening to have the most people (2,500!!) all playing and singing the same song (Buddy Holly – Rave On) at the same time...Nuts or what?
That’s what makes me proud to be British – only here could it happen with such enthusiasm.

Roger had an equally enthusiastic welcome for his Spelt cookery demo (actually, let’s not get too carried away here; he stirred a squid ink speltotto that Mark Hix was making- sounds disgusting, but the audience was fighting to buy tasters when they had finished!).  The marquee was packed and we raised some cash for Bowel Cancer UK and introduced a few more people to our ‘Great British Spelt Recipes’ (have a look if you’re stuck for dinner ideas!)

I have no idea where you'd wear these, but they're mesmerising!

No sooner had we returned than I was off again. First to the Top Drawer trade show, seeking new gift items for the Great House (lots of new goodies for you to look out for) and then straight on to London Fashion Week at Somerset House– again searching out interesting new brands for the Emporium.
A sense of déjà vu on our son Cameron’s Bottletop stand, recalling the hours both Roger and I have spent working at trade fairs in the past, selling Mulberry!

I do hope Santa Cam does the right thing by Mummy this Christmas...

Bottletop’s new enameled range looked absolutely stunning – look out for their new campaign featuring a gorgeous, international super model, (watch this space to find out who)  who generously donated her time to the fashion shoot - I hope Cam brings her home for Christmas...

Mrs Handbag xx

Kilver Court's crazy for Charlie Jade

The latest designer label to land at Kilver Court

Kilver Court’s got a new brand and it’s beautiful! Charlie Jade has just arrived in our Emporium, and actually, it’s flying out the door again just as fast. Launched in 2009, designer Angie Gabriel creates beautifully feminine dresses, playsuits, blouses and rompers in eyecatching, playful prints, which will brighten up any wardrobe. Did we mention Kilver Court has an extra 50% off RRP? We are good to you! Talking of which we have a competition for you too - read on!

Admittedly, we were a little horrified when no sooner had we donned our silky new Charlie Jade dresses than the weather took a serious turn for the worse. Visions of skipping around meadows and twirling in our new skirts (which we do daily of course!) were quickly abandoned as we opted for umbrellas and boots instead. But as it turns out, Charlie Jade fits our autumn wardrobes just as well as it did in the summertime! Pair the blouses with chunky knits from Hawick Cashmere, and the dresses and playsuits with thick tights and beautiful leather boots from LK Bennett. Charlie Jade’s prints add the colour and energy any outfit needs.

Kilver Court shows you how to style Charlie Jade pieces for autumn, with a little help from LK Bennett

A number of pieces have been designed with seasonal changes in mind, with sleeves on a lot of dresses (thus avoiding the hopeless hunt to find a cardigan that goes!) and carefully selected silks that allow the skin to breathe, while keeping the warm in.If you're not entirely convinced on the layering, how about a Hawick Cashmere wrap coat on us? Head over to our Facebook page and tell us your favourite thing about autumn for the chance to win some cosy cashmere worth over £300!

Charlie Jade at Kilver Court

The brand has only recently expanded to Europe so we're thrilled to have Charlie Jade at Kilver Court. They produce super small, exclusive collections and don't reproduce designs once they're sold out, making some of the pieces we stock are the last of their kind in Europe,so be quick! Check out their Facebook page for more gorgeous lookbook shots.

Come and play dress up soon!